Basked in Moonlight
by DappledKarma
Summary: The tales of their lives, post-Madoka.
1. Episode 1: Basked in Moonlight

The windmills quietly spun clockwise, and the wind whistled along the air. The stars were dimly lit through the fog of the city's glow which had polluted the lower atmosphere. Not one human sound was heard, and that made it easier for the black-haired girl to relax. Nature had wrapped itself around the girl who lay down on her back, resting on a slope of neatly trimmed grass.

The wavy grass tickled against her pale skin as she observed the stars. Eyes drifted into the partly covered crescent moon, and specks of moonlight occasionally shone down like spotlights through the clouds. The sky was always this beautiful, but Homura would like to believe it became much more elegant now that Madoka was a part of it.

She wondered if the other girl was watching her from afar in a realm that exceeded the heavens themselves. Maybe the goddess was looking down at Homura now, with golden eyes and a warm smile that would pierce through the fog and snuggle the tired girl in the cool wind. It had been so long since their separation, and Homura longed to see her dearest friend again.

Normally, Homura would be asleep in her bedroom due to school, but her mind had been restless for these last couple of days. And so, she flew over to the windmills; a quiet place where she could somewhat be away from the rest of the city.

Maybe for this single night, there could be rest from the never-ending battle of Puella Magi and demons; the cycle that would go on forever within this new system that her goddess was responsible for. Admittedly, it was better than the last one, and Homura was not - by any means - complaining, it was just that in the back of her mind she thought it was a pointless struggle. Her original intention was to save Madoka from her fate, and now that was impossible. The only reason she stuck around was because she felt Madoka would want her to continue fighting until her last breath.

Now, it was time to go and look over the city for any demon activity. It was something she regularly did every night. Getting rid of those creatures was her one and only job, and it helped hone her skills.

Homura got up and formed her outfit out of purple light that had enveloped her body. White wings of light sprouted out of her back, and she flapped them, causing her to slowly hover above the ground before shooting up into the night. She flew high up into the sky, quickly passing through clouds.

The view of the city was quite splendid, and Homura allowed the drafts of air to carry her around the city. She was thankful for the pair of wings that allowed her to see the world in a different perspective. Flocks of crows were flying in the distance, and Homura wondered if her wings captivated them. Maybe in their eyes, she looked like a strange giant raven that wandered aimlessly in the sky. In her own eyes, she was just that.

After flying around the city several times, Homura flew over to an observation tower that she always used as a gathering point to meet up with the other girls and lightly rested a heel on the tip of the tower's pole. Demons were concentrated down below it.

The tower was an unofficial rendezvous point for when the girls needed to work together; not that Homura would have the need to do that, but she _was _the one that kept insisting the most on teamwork.

She didn't want to repeat the past where all the others ended up dead. Instead she let them struggle together and learn how to get along with each other to form an unstoppable team. It was a slow process that involved lots of hard work, but they subtly became better and more effective against the demons. Even Sayaka showed much growth as a person and a fighter. It's a shame they thought Homura was a lunatic though, really. No one ever believed her about Madoka so she remained mostly quiet around them.

Homura raised her left hand in the air. A small purple stick of light formed in her palm before transforming into a bow. She took aim and fired an arrow down into the crowd to get their attention. The demons quickly rose up to meet their adversary. There were many of them, at least three dozen, but numbers mattered not. No matter how many were among them, they'd still be greeted by an arrow that would never fail to dispatch its target. The figures cloaked in white formed three circular lines above Homura and circled around her like hungry sharks around their prey. In this situation, however, prey was predator, and predator was prey.

It seemed like they were inviting her into attacking so instead, she waited for them to make their move. They all shot yellow beams, and Homura covered herself with her wings. The beams of light disappeared after several seconds of failing to pierce through.

Homura uncovered her wings while aiming upwards. The arrow she pulled back on glowed a bright purple, charged with magic, and she fired it into the sky.

Up went the single arrow and down rained thirteen arrows in a circular pattern just wide enough to wipe the demons out. Each arrow struck three demons through their heads as they faded away into nothingness.

Homura wore an uninterested expression on her face. Another restless night, another pointless fight.

Now that the threat was gone, she dived off the pole and took to the skies once more to return to her resting place.

Currents of wind pushed up against her skin as she slowly descended onto the grassy slope. Her wings dispersed and her outfit transformed into her school uniform.

Lying down again, she thought about when her time would finally come. She hoped that fight would be the fight to finally do her in, but it wasn't. Just like all the rest, no matter how many demons came up against her, she'd live to fight in an aimless life.

Homura put her hands behind her head and closed her eyes, finally able to sleep. Her sleeping body was basked in moonlight.


	2. Episode 2: Twin Peaks

All four girls sat around the table below the swinging pendulum. Four white cups of steaming green tea were distributed amongst them, made by Homura, something she usually didn't do. Sayaka lay down, yawning beside Kyouko and her pair of baggy eyes. Across the table Homura and Mami sat, both wide and awake. Homura had called them all together to discuss something she became more aware of after watching the news and reading newspapers, blogs and articles online for further research.

"I know it's pretty early in the morning to discuss matters, but this is important," Homura said. "This past month has shown a dramatic increase in the amount of missing girls, girls our age, around the neighboring cities of Mitakihara. I'm sure you heard a little about some of the cases."

Sayaka yawned again and pulled Kyouko's leg close, her arms wrapping around it, head resting on top of her thigh. Kyouko's eyes widened, mouth opened but she quickly hid her face and any thoughts away. To this day Homura still did not understand those two's true relationship.

"Say what?" Sayaka said. "Never heard about this before. Don't be surprised, though. I don't watch the news all that much."

" 'Fraid I haven't either," Kyouko said.

"I've heard a little about it," Mami said. "What's the problem, Akemi-san? You think this is Magical Girl related?"

"Correct, Tomoe-san. I'm more than sure all these cases are Magical Girl related."

"Hm," Kyouko said, "you think these cases could have resulted from something like territory disputes? Maybe a group of girls got in a fight, the losers died and the winners hid the bodies?"

"That's a little extreme," Sayaka said, eyeing Kyouko. "Plus Homura said this is happening in cities, Kyouko - as in plural. There's no chance something like that could happen in so many places."

"Shaddup," Kyouko retorted.

Mami sighed, a cup of tea in hand. "Girls, it's 7 o'clock in the morning. Find some other time to fight. Akemi-san has important things to say, else we wouldn't be here."

Homura nodded. "I think these cases are all connected to each other somehow."

"What do you think is going on?" Mami asked.

"I'm not sure," Homura said. "Perhaps a sharp increase in demons."

Large increases in demons weren't uncommon. Kyubey once said it had something to do with their attraction to the collective grief of many humans gathered together in one place, a city. Just a couple days ago Homura faced a large herd. A normal Magical Girl likely wouldn't stand a chance against the amount she fought that night. It wasn't impossible that large amounts of demons in other cities followed the grief in the air before engaging in combat with inexperienced Magical Girls too weak to fight back.

"I don't think so," Kyouko said, taking out a box of pocky sticks. She placed one in between her teeth, near a fang. "You said only girls our age are missing. If it was demons doing this then there'd be more than just girls missing. Maybe it's other Magical Girls doing this."

Magical Girls... would there be any insane enough to do this? Maybe, but on such a spread out scale as all these cases? Not likely.

"Let's not make bold accusations," Mami said. "We don't have any facts. All we know is Magical Girls are possibly being targeted.

Sayaka snatched the pocky box from Kyouko's grip, taking a stick, ignoring the redhead's glare. She sat up to dip the pocky stick in her own tea, stirring it inside the cup. Then she devoured the stick in two quick bites, faster than Kyouko.

"Look guys," Sayaka said, "no matter who or what is doing this, we need to put an end to it."

"Sayaka, it's none of our business," Kyouko said. "We don't need to do anything unless we get targeted."

"I actually agree with Kyouko on this one," Mami said. "We can't do much, Miki-san, if they're not coming here. We need to protect this city and ourselves."

"Which is why I've gathered us all here." Homura handled her teacup with calm fingertips before taking a slow sip. "Be on your guard at all times, more so than usual. Stick close to each other. I don't want to find someone missing or dead because of their own stupidity."

Sayaka stood up, looking at the three girls, hoping for at least one of them to join her side. "You guys can't be serious, right? If we stop the situation now, we won't need to worry about anything. We can't just sit around-"

"Oi, Sayaka, calm down and think." Kyouko sighed. "We don't even know what's out there. What are ya gonna do if you're faced with, like, five evil Magical Girls or three dozen demons or somethin'?"

"Easy. I'll kick their asses."

"That was rhetorical."

"I know."

Homura cut in, "This is serious, Miki-san."

Sayaka snapped back at her. "I know that! There's four of us here though. Maybe two of us can search the other cities for a couple of days to find out more information."

Homura remained placid. "Did you forget we have lives, school, and demons here to take care of? Besides, that's dangerous - especially when we don't have much an idea of what we're looking for. Stay here. Stay close. That's the plan."

Sayaka stared up at the enormous pendulum, it's shape reflected and swinging back and forth in her blue eyes.

"I just... want to protect people. Is that so bad?" She tilted her head towards Mami. "Isn't that we're supposed to do?"

Mami frowned. "That's true. But we can't protect everyone, and in this case we need to protect each other. You understand, right?"

"...Yeah," Sayaka murmured under the medium ticks of the pendulum. "Anything else I should be disappointed about? Because if not, I'm leaving."

"Be alert and on the lookout," Homura said. "If you happen to find yourself facing a threat, retreat at all costs. Then regroup with us."

Sayaka's rolled her eyes and she gave a quick salute to Homura. "Yes, Sgt. Akemi!"

Homura responded with a hand running through hair.

Kyouko chuckled.

Mami sipped her tea in a poor attempt to cover the smile on her lips.

"Miki-san, don't do anything rash," she said.

"Yeah, of course. Since when do I?" Sayaka headed towards the door.

Behind her Kyouko trailed. "I'll make sure Sayaka doesn't do anything stupid."

"Ohohoho, and here I thought I'd treat you to some morning ice cream. Guess you don't want any." Sayaka stuck her tongue out at Kyouko after opening the door, then she sprinted off.

"Okay okay, I'm sorry!" Kyouko said, rushing after her.

After the two left, a silence remained. Mami and Homura still sat beside each other. They usually didn't chat other than for battle strategies. Perhaps this would be a good time for small talk - only, what could Homura say? Definitely nothing about Madoka. It would only further alienate Homura from Mami.

Homura didn't care for the average things girls her age talked about like fashion, boys and gossip. From past timelines, she knew Mami cared somewhat for those things, but she wasn't about to start a conversation she didn't care for, nor was she going to start one only she cared about.

Mami faced Homura, looking puzzled, keeping quiet. She tapped her fingers against either thigh several times.

Finally the blonde spoke, "So... Akemi-san, it seems you and I will be together for a while, huh? What do you want to do?"

"Well..." Homura didn't know, but her stomach did; it growled for a good second. She had her hands on her stomach, her face slightly red.

Mami blinked several times before giggling. "Breakfast it is."


	3. Episode 3: Twin Peaks part 2

**Mami**

"Thank you for the food," Homura said.

"You're welcome," Mami said.

They sat across each other, a round purple dining table between them. Mami had laid out two bowls of miso soup; one for Homura and one for herself. It wasn't much for breakfast, but Homura had little else in her kitchen's contents. Perhaps now would be a good time to point out they could eat out somewhere.

"Say, Akemi-san, we can always go eat out if you're still hungry after this."

Homura, with her chopsticks, grabbed a piece of tofu in her bowl. She stared at it for a moment, her face a blank expression. "That won't be necessary. This'll be sufficient. I prefer eating in my own household, anyway." She chewed on the tofu silently.

"Yeah, but you don't have much food lying around in your kitchen." All the raven-haired girl really had was instant curry, ramen, microwave mochi, and some orange drinks that tasted rather tangy. "What you do have isn't very healthy."

"I'm not much of a food person," Homura replied.

Mami stared at the girl while eating her own tofu. She never heard someone say something like that. She wondered how Kyouko would respond to hearing Homura's words. She would probably get all upset and confused, or she'd grin and say "More for me!", or something like that. Well, at the least, she would be happy Homura didn't waste food, if her almost emptied kitchen was any indication. Kyouko would hate living with her, though; no more refrigerator raiding.

"You could at least try new things," Mami said. "It's always a good experience, and you never know, you may end up finding something you'll love."

"I suppose that's true..." Homura sipped her miso soup. "I'll think about it. Your soup is good, by the way."

"Thank you." Mami was a master of cooking. After her parents had passed away she learned how to cook on her own. Sometimes she thought of them while cooking; how they would never get a chance to taste her peach pies...

"Are you alright, Tomoe-san?"

Homura's soft voice snapped Mami out of her sad thoughts.

"Oh, yes." Her lips twisted up in a fake smile. "I just spaced out a little."

"Something on your mind?" Homura's violet eyes gave off a dead, piercing gaze; they might have seen through Mami's smile.

Still, Mami continued smiling.

"No, I'm just tired." She didn't want to look weak, nor did she bother talking about her own problems. Mami would rather keep to herself about those; just thinking about them hurt. Maybe Homura would share her own problems - or she might talk about that 'Madoka Kaname' girl again... Either way, Mami just wanted to avoid talking about her own regrets in life.

Besides, Homura was an interesting person. She usually tried keeping to herself, she was always polite and calm, and there were hints of sadness and happiness in her voice at times - especially when she talked about Madoka. Whenever Homura talked about that girl, her pale face would brighten, her usual cold eyes would glitter, and her lips would form a small smile.

Mami liked that. She felt that Homura and herself might have shared a connection, like they both suffered a similar pain. If all what Homura said about Madoka was true, then indeed they both knew of similar pains; losing loved ones. Mami figured Homura loved that girl with all her heart, and she herself loved her parents so much, she wished she could redo her wish to save them too.

"Is there anything you would like to talk about?" Mami asked. "Any troubles?"

Homura drank the rest of her miso soup. "Well, I had a run in with more demons than usual a few days ago, not that it was a problem, but it has alarmed me to a possibility of despair growing in the city."

_Surprise, surprise,_ Mami thought._ If she's not talking about Madoka, she's talking about demons._

"So more demon hunting, then?" Mami drank her soup.

"Possibly," Homura said. "I'll scope out the city tonight and see if there's more herds like that again. I'll also be on the lookout for any other kind of intruders."

"You're not alone, you have me for help. Although your earlier news has me a little afraid of what could happen."

"Well, I believe you and I alone are capable enough to defend ourselves from any threat, as long as we keep cool heads."

Mami smiled at that, but she had something else on her mind. "Maybe just this one day."

"Huh?" Homura's brow wrinkled slightly.

"Maybe... just this one day, we can go out and try having fun. I mean, there are four of us. If demons show up, Sayaka and Kyouko can take care of them, and if whatever is causing Magical Girls to go missing comes, we can all meet and come up with a plan."_ We'll handle the threat, if it comes down to it._ "I don't see what's wrong with having a little fun; we both need it." She picked up the empty bowls. "Fighting, studying, and eating. Repeat. They get so repetitive sometimes."

Homura sat there for a little, staring at the purple table. Mami could only guess what she was thinking, or maybe not. What she probably thought was "fighting demons is our number one priority. Having fun comes later. Not to mention all the missing girls."

Mami prepared herself for disappointment as she washed the bowls in the kitchen's sink. After she finished she saw Homura take a sip of some of that tangy orange drink beside the fridge.

"I do think one day of rest from our duties is okay, as long as Kyouko and Sayaka can handle themselves. What do you have in mind?" Homura asked.

_What?_ Mami pondered, stunned that the raven-haired girl would be okay with it. Is this really happening? She scratched her head. "Well... now that you mention it, I'm not too sure myself."_ How embarrassing, not even knowing what I want to do. Buying new clothes? Yeah, that might be an option. I would love a few more tank tops and jackets. Hm, Homura hardly dresses in casual wear, now that I think about it. A new wardrobe would do her good. Wait. Has she ever dressed in something other than her school outfit? She definitely needs some new clothes. She'd look amazing in a kimono. But would shopping even be fun for her? I don't know._ "Want to go shopping?"

"For what?"

"Clothes."

"Well, I guess I'm okay with it," Homura said. "Athough I'm fine with what I wear, now."

_Not really one for fashion, huh._ "But does it sound fun to you?" Mami asked.

"I'm not sure how to answer that," Homura spoke plainly.

Mami giggled, then smiled. "So I guess shopping is going in our plans. There's something else I want to do as well, now that I remember." Before she became a Magical Girl, Mami's parents bought her a pair of Rollerblades because she had once seen a foreign television program where kids rode on them all the time. She wanted to do that, thought inline skating was interesting, and so pestered her parents until they got her some skates. She loved them. Now she'd get some new ones for herself and Homura - and laugh. Seeing Homura skating? _This will be a day to remember._ "Akemi-san, how does skating sound?"


	4. Episode 4: Twin Peaks part 3

**Sayaka**

All throughout the morning, Sayaka had thought of all those missing girls. No amount of morning ice cream helped take her mind off them. She had to save them, and she would do it with or without the others. Her plan: bribe Kyouko with lots and lots of food.

The redhead chomped on the hamburger in her right hand, mouth covered in cheese and ketchup. An abundance of french fries were in her left hand when she dipped them in her strawberry milkshake before shoving them in her mouth with her palm. The morning ice cream, and the lunch she was now eating easily overtook whatever feelings or thoughts she had for the missing girls. She looked like a little kid – scratch that, she was _worse_ than a little kid, grubbing down all that food.

Strangely, she looked kind of cute.

Sayaka rested her chin on a hand, using the other to stir the straw in her chocolate milkshake. She wanted to get out of here, so they could head towards one of the other cities, maybe Kasamino, and figure out what was going on. Kyouko wouldn't like that, though, and that was assuming she would help at all.

Around the two girls, strangers watched Kyouko, whispered things in each others ears.

"Um, Kyouko, people are staring, not that I care much. You should eat with more manners, though."

"Coming from you," she said, mouth stuffed, "that doesn't mean much."

"Right, because I'm the glutton here. I'm the one shoving food down my throat..."

Kyouko pointed towards Sayaka's half eaten curry bread. "You gonna finish that?"

Sayaka held it out towards the redhead. "Here you g-"

As if on cue, it was suddenly out of her grasp.

"-Go..." Sayaka finished, deadpanning with a defeated sigh before resting her elbow on the table, slightly leaning forward with her free hand holding up her chin.

Kyouko smirked, her fang showing before taking a quick bite. "Thanks. You know how I am. Besides..." She paused, swallowing down a portion of her food and chuckled. "Food tastes a hell lot better than before!"

"Tastes a lot better when you pay for it, huh?" Sayaka asked, letting out a small smile. _Well, I paid for it..._

Despite that her food was no longer within her reach, Sayaka was still fine and happy. Happy that Kyouko had stopped stealing both food and money months ago after the two became friends. Kyouko also began living with Mami.

"Mami and I are like sisters," Kyouko had once told Sayaka, so she had no problem with those two living together. Okay, maybe she did have a problem with it. Sayaka couldn't put her finger on it. Was it a sense of envy? _Sisters. _Could it be that? Because she didn't have anyone to call a sibling? Closest thing she had for a sibling - that was her best friend... and they didn't talk to each other much these days. Honestly, Kyouko was probably Sayaka's closest friend now.

_Oh, of course. _Sayaka's best friend was Kyouko, as weird as it was to even think. Mami's best friend was also Kyouko. _I really hate sharing..._

"I guess you could say that. To be honest, I'm kinda surprised you didn't flip out on me. I wasn't exactly proud way back then, stealing food, ya know."

Kyouko finished the curry bread and washed it down with her strawberry milkshake.

After hearing Kyouko's voice, Sayaka snapped back into reality. "That was then, this is now. You've changed." She smiled. "For the better, at that."

"Yeah, yeah," Kyouko replied with a waving hand. "People change and shit. But ya know... There's something I've been meaning to tell ya."

Sayaka could guess as to what that meant. Probably something about food. Although, she hoped it'd be something involving herself and Kyouko. When Kyouko caught Sayaka's curious gaze, she reddened. What could that mean?

"What?" Sayaka asked, head tilted.

"Remember when we had _that _talk? Something about what there was for me in the future..." Her voice almost trembled, "I've thought about it a lot lately."

Sayaka's eyebrows raised at Kyouko's words. She sat up straight.

"And?"

Kyouko's gaze dropped down towards her chocolate-flavored milkshake by her side, forcing a reply with a shaky voice. "I-I want to go back to school, and get a job and all... so I don't have to rely on Mami anymore."

Sayaka almost choked on her milkshake from surprise. Part of the shock came from the way Kyouko acted, the other from her not wanting to live with Mami anymore. It gave Sayaka relief, but she had to wonder, why, exactly, Kyouko wanted to move out. It wasn't like those two got in many arguments and fights.

"W-wow. You mind me asking why you plan on moving out?"

"I don't wanna be a burden anymore... Especially to Mami. I mean - geez, is it that much of a surprise?"

"A surprise? Obviously, it is! Especially you, of all people, wanting to back to school..." She paused, recalling that the shorter girl was technically a refugee. The corner of her lips shifted up. "Say... What grade were you in when you dropped out?" Kyouko turned her head to the window, not speaking a single word. Sayaka grinned. "Come on, tell me. 5th grade?"

Kyouko rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

"So, what you're saying is you are stupid, just not _that _stupid?"

"Oh, shut up!" She snapped. "But seriously... I'd rather not answer your question."

"Which one?"

Kyouko slammed her palms on the table and stood up. "Seriously Sayaka! I'm not in the mood for your stupid shit. I wanted to have a nice conversation with you for once, but no, guess it ain't happening."

Everyone in the restaurant almost instantly shifted their heads towards the furious redhead. Sayaka avoided her flaming red eyes and frowned.

"I'm sorry. I realize what I said was stupid." _I didn't want it to turn out like this. How can an idiot like me call herself Kyouko's best friend? _"Hey, can I ask you something else?" Sayaka's tone was clear of any mockery or scoff, full of a mellow curiosity.

That seemed to calm the older girl down a bit. She sat back down at least, head supported under by both hands. All the people went back to attending to their business.

"What is it?" Kyouko asked.

"Do you like..." Sayaka almost choked on the next words, "Mami more than you like me?" There, she had said them. Her nervousness and guilt wouldn't allow her to look Kyouko in the eye, though she felt the girl's gaze.

"What kind of question is that?" Her voice raised.

Sayaka glimpsed at Kyouko, at her bright cheeks and realized her own were at least as red. "J-just answer the question!"

"I would say I..." Kyouko paused and stood up. "Gotta pee." She darted off towards the restroom.

"You're not getting away!" Sayaka yelled. Her legs sprang forward and she sprinted past all the onlookers. She wanted Kyouko's answer immediately.

Kyouko looked back for a second before entering the restroom. Barely meters away, she saw that Sayaka was catching up. Kyouko jumped into a stall and tried slamming the door close, but Sayaka smacked her left palm against the door, forcing it completely open. Both girls were red, and Sayaka's hand stung.

There were a few other girls in the restroom, all their attention aimed towards the redhead and blunette. _Everyone_ was turning red now. They all whispered in each other's ears, gave quick glances to Kyouko and Sayaka, but made sure not make eye contact. One girl just giggled and smiled.

_This is not what it looks like, _Sayaka thought.

"D-dumbass!" Kyouko whispered. "Get out!" She tried shoving her out with a foot, but Sayaka pushed her own hands up against the sides of the stall.

"Make me," she replied.

The weight in Kyouko's heel shifted. She clenched her jaw, standing above the toilet. "Close the door at least." Her voice was low, eyes averted.

Perhaps this was strange to think, the two being in a restroom stall and all, but _wow, she looks super cute like this! But if I can't get her answer from straight out asking I think I have a more fun way of doing it. _

Sayaka smiled. "So, you're okay with me watching you take a leak?"

"Keep your voice down!" Kyouko snapped.

"Well, don't mind me. Go ahead and pretend I don't exist - in fact, I'm not here at all. It's not like you care anyway, right?"

Kyouko sighed, sat down on the toilet seat. She clapped her hands together. "Look, about your question... and I mean the one about me liking Mami or you better - so don't make any smart-ass comment - I..." Operation: Annoy Kyouko = success! But hearing her say Mami's name first filled Sayaka with dread. The more likable person was always the one who came first in the sentence, but Kyouko's red face confused her. Was it for Mami or Sayaka? And what did it mean exactly? Why was Sayaka thinking about these things? "I like-"

A ringtone went off loudly - Sayaka's ringtone; it was Luminous by ClariS. Perfect. Freakin' perfect, ringing at such an important time...

Kyouko closed her mouth and breathed out. _I am so not done with you._

Sayaka looked at the caller. It was Homura. Out all the people in the universe who could call, why her? Sayaka sighed, contemplated dismissing the call, but decided against it. "It's Homura," she told Kyouko, then answered the call.

Homura proceeded to tell her the usual - don't be stupid and stay extra careful - and something more interesting. She was shopping with Mami and they would later go skating; now that was a big surprise - ruined by Homura telling Sayaka to take care of any demon threats with Kyouko, and to regroup if necessary due to the outside threat they might end up facing. Homura also told her how a girl in Asunaro, one city away, went missing just a few hours ago. That's reminded Sayaka why she came with Kyouko to the hamburger shop in the first place. She turned to the redhead.

"You can forget the question, I'd rather not find out right now."

Kyouko got off the toilet, her face back to its normal color. "What did she say?"

"Things that upset me, like always. I'll explain later." She held out a hand. "Wanna grab some more grub? I'm in the mood for seconds."

Kyouko eagerly accepted both the hand and the offer.


	5. Episode 5: Twin Peaks part 4

While Kyouko stuffed herself with food, Sayaka kept tapping a finger against the table. Waiting around only risked more Magical Girls going missing. She was getting ready to slam her own head against the table in frustration, before Kyouko finally finished.

The redhead leaned back on her chair. "Thanks for the food. I'll pay you back once I get a job."

"Who are you?" Sayaka joked.

Kyouko burped. "So, what now?"

"It's a secret." Knowing Kyouko would refuse to help Sayaka, it would be good if she only caught onto Sayaka's plan when it was too late to counteract. "Let's go."

Sayaka picked the hamburger shop for good reason. It was beside the train station, the easiest way to get to cities nearby. Before Homura called, Sayaka had planned to travel with Kyouko to Kasamino. She thought it might be nice to visit Kyoko's hometown with her, but now Sayaka believed whatever or whomever was behind the disappearance of the Magical Girls might be lurking within Asunaro. They could always visit Kasamino later, anyway.

When the train came, Kyouko didn't ask questions about where Sayaka planned to go. She merely observed the outside world when they got in the train - which wasn't much. Lots of buildings... so many buildings... too many. That's what it seemed like at first.

The two girls gripped on the railing as the train gained speed. They passed the lake, then caught a glimpse of a park Sayaka used to frequent when she was a little kid. Those old memories of her and Hitomi playing in the fields only pained her now. She tried not to think about it.

Kyouko still looked to the outside surroundings. "We're heading out pretty far."

"We're... visiting a place I haven't been to in a long time." The train stopped, two platforms away from entering Asunaro territory. The doors opened and out came several passengers. Just a little longer and they'd be in Asunaro. As long as Kyouko didn't say anything-

Kyouko grabbed Sayaka's wrist. Her grip was strong. "Yeah, right."

Sayaka tried holding onto the railing, but Kyouko managed to pull her out of the train.

"Kyouko!"

"I'm not stupid. You were trying to force me into helping you with your stupid heroics. You trying to get us killed? What the hell are you thinking?"

"That you would help me in return for all the food I gave you?" Sayaka asked plainly.

Kyouko smacked a palm against her brow. "I'm not gonna repeat what Homura told us. You're not going, I'm not going, end of story. I understand it's a big deal and all, to you, that we help those girls out, but we can't help them this way. Personally I don't even care about them. It's not our job to save Magical Girls; Magical Girls' jobs are to save innocent people, not each other."

"And why not?" Sayaka asked. "Who are you to say who's innocent and who's not, anyway?"

"Look, let's talk about this somewhere else. I don't feel like attracting a crowd."

"Fine." She was ready to tear down Kyouko's survivalist attitude for good, or at least try to.

After getting out of the train station they walked over to an alley, in silence. The alley was not unlike the one they first met in. Pipes snaked the walls on both sides, water leaked out of a few busted ones, and steam fizzled out of them into the air. It gave Sayaka a strange sense of nostalgia, despite the fact the first time she and Kyouko met there they tried to kill each other.

Kyouko leaned against a side of the alley. "So, you wanna know why it isn't our job to protect Magical Girls? What I mean, exactly, is we - Magical Girls - have the tools to survive on our own: weapons, magic, a functioning brain with at least some common sense, and the desire to live, hopefully. If we slip up and die, or go missing, it's our own fault. We're not like the rest of humanity, the 'innocent people', you could say. It's to our advantage that we help those people out, since demons are attracted to them."

Sayaka watched the passing clouds. "You saved my life, you know, after we had that talk in the abandoned church and I left to go fight demons on my own. Despite me telling you off, you still came to help me out. You let me, someone you had barely known, cry in your arms afterwards." At the time, Sayaka had so much pent-up frustration, confusion, and sadness. She almost immediately broke down after the battle. She felt relieved that someone had aided her; had cared about her. Kyouko asked her about what her problem was, and she told her about how she was going to lose Hitomi to Kyousuke. "If I had ended up surviving the battle without any help, I would've continued fighting until my soul gem turned black completely. I'll always be grateful to you for what you did. Now, if you were willing to give me a chance, can't you do the same for those other girls?"

"No, I can't," Kyouko said. "I already told you back then, I saw myself in you. Believe me when I say your way of thinking doesn't appeal to me."

"Yeah, well, I feel the same way about your hypocritical way."

She bared her fangs. "What did you just say?"

"Kyouko, don't you get it? We help each other; we're Magical Girls. It's not our job, you say, yet we still do. You also forget we benefit from helping Magical Girls out, since most of them, I assume, naturally fight against demons, and we're no one man armies - except Homura maybe. I think cooperation is key."

"No, you don't get it Sayaka! You make it sound like all Magical Girls are like us, which is utter bullshit. There are no shining knights in armor save for you and Mami." Kyouko sighed. "Some Magical Girls would stab you in the back given the opportunity, or some would kill you because they see you as a threat to their territory or their life."

"Not all of them are like that! I still don't understand you, Kyouko..." After Kyouko had told Sayaka her story about her wish, Sayaka felt like she understood her, that deep down, the girl who fought for herself did and still does believe in the stories where the heroes and heroines, and courage and love do prevail above all else. Sayaka wanted to believe Kyouko still believed in those things, but her mindset was so opposite sounding, it made Sayaka wonder. Never one to give up, she'd try to grasp that way of thinking and turn it around. "If you feel that way, why did you join up with the others and I? Be honest."

"Honestly, Mami was my teacher, and she had you and Homura." Kyouko stared at her feet and folded her arms. "I saw it as a good opportunity for myself. I won't pretend soloing demons was easy."

"That's your only reason?" Sayaka did feel some truth to it, but those times Kyouko fought alone and wandered aimlessly must have been lonely for her.

"Obviously!" Kyouko yelled, both hands balled in fists to her sides. "If there was another damn reason, I would have told you. God!"

Sayaka laughed. "Well, that's that." She hoped to finish this conversation some other time.

"And no matter what you say, you're not leaving this city."

"Says you." Sayaka stuck her hands on her hips. "I could just outrun you, you know." That was a bluff, she had to admit. Then she thought of another proposition, though it wasn't a good one. "Would it bother you if I go by myself, then? That way, there's no danger for you, since helping Magical Girls ain't your business, right?"

"Don't put me in this position, Sayaka," Kyouko muttered. "I'm really tired of your heroic antics, and I'm tired of this dead fuckin' conversation about those missing girls. If you're really serious and I can't stop you with words, I'll just have to break your legs and drag you back to Homura's house."

A fight, eh? "You're serious too, huh. Alright then, I guess we will have to fight. I've always wanted a rematch against you."

Kyouko laughed at that. Sayaka would be the one laughing in the end. "You can't win," Kyouko said. "We both know it."

"I've gotten better. Much better." Sayaka was no longer a pushover thanks to Homura constantly putting her at work to fight demons for months. Sometimes that girl would bring Sayaka along on demon hunts, only to have Sayaka fight them alone while Homura provided cover fire with her arrows, when necessary. Every now and then they'd have 'friendly' matches where they'd fight each other, which would result in Sayaka getting her ass kicked. Every. Single. Time. Some days Sayaka would feel so exhausted even her healing magic couldn't help her. Perhaps Homura's training affected her mentally as well as physically. She'd make an excellent drill sergeant, Sayaka mused.

Mami also helped. She taught Sayaka the basics of being a Magical Girl. Contrary to how Sayaka thought of her, Mami could become as aggressive as Homura, during training, and she did, when it came to increasing Sayaka's reflexes. She'd pelt Sayaka with BB pellets, telling the blue-haired girl she would eventually learn to block them. Most painful training sessions ever. To be fair, Sayaka was the one who thought of the idea. She didn't want to feel like a nuisance to everyone else. She knew how terrible a Magical Girl she was. She just hadn't thought Mami would give her no warning as to when she'd fire the BBs from her muskets. Painful as they were, those training sessions helped her grow as a fighter. Though Sayaka felt no real change in her reflexes, she knew she was faster than ever; she could block shots from several muskets almost all at once now.

Reflexes weren't the only thing Mami helped with. She taught Sayaka the basics of healing. Sayaka had a natural affinity for healing, both in learning how to use it and executing it. Now Sayaka could fully heal other Magical girls in seconds, thanks to Mami, though it stressed her soul gem to its limits.

Both Mami and Homura trained Sayaka in other ways too. Homura would force her to cut down arrows in midair while Mami used ribbons in attempts to stop Sayaka. Those training sessions didn't last long. Something about getting shot in the face with bolts of purple light rubbed her the wrong way, more so than BB pellets.

But all that hard work and training was about to pay off. Kyouko would probably be surprised, since she hardly bothered to watch or train Sayaka because of boredom, laziness, hunger, or sometimes a combination of all three.

Kyouko smirked. "I'm sure you have. Either way, I'm gonna enjoy this." Red light shimmered against her body before scattering, bringing out her red outfit. Her spear materialized and she swung it around, showing off, as if Sayaka never saw her flashy moves before.

Sayaka grinned. "Yeah." Blue light enveloped her clothes, transforming them into her blue and white outfit. She conjured her sword from nothingness, pointed towards Kyouko.

Both girls stared at each other's eyes. They waited for the slightest shift in eye movement to betray their thoughts.

Sayaka held the hilt tightly. She strafed left, Kyouko countered strafing right. They both smiled. Sayaka never knew a mere standoff could pump her heart with so much excitement.

But before they truly began she felt the need to bring up their friendship one last time. "One last thing. Do you like Mami more than you like me?"

"...That doesn't matter," Kyouko muttered. "You're important to me, Sayaka. That's why I won't let you get yourself killed."

"Thanks." Hearing those words were enough. They filled her chest with a slight fuzziness. "You mean a lot to me too. That's why I'll have to apologize to you, for kicking your ass."

Kyouko chuckled. "I'm looking forward to it." She brought her spear hand behind her. "Now shut up and fight!" She swung the spear, its pointed head connected by chains, launched towards Sayaka.


End file.
